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I'd like to point out that it was the incredible Gary Sinese Foundation that brought the issue of Veteran's rights to my attention. I've always had little respect for those who'd forget the great contribution made by those who've risked life and limb to defend those values that so many of us espouse. Perhaps the true measure of one's principles are by that for which they'd risk their life.
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ALS (also known as Lou Gehrig's Disease) is a progressive neuromuscular disease in which nerve cells die and leave voluntary muscles paralyzed. The ALS society provides a variety of programs to combat this disease and help those with it to survive.
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Muscular Dystrophy Canada’s mission is to enhance the lives of those affected by neuromuscular disorders by continually working to provide ongoing support and resources while relentlessly searching for a cure through well-funded research.
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The Edgar Allan Poe Museum
Because Barris told me to put it here. If I didn't, he said he'd walk. Geez. Stardom really gets to some people's heads. Maybe I could kill him and bury his heart beneath the floor boards! Or I could encase him in behind a brick and mortar wall, for shaming my family name of Amantillado!
Wikipedia
The model for what may become the Encyclopedia Galactica, a complete reference and record of history, events and knowledge of humanity and its journey beyond. It is the encyclopedia of all that we know, what we surmise that we've known and will learn in the future. Yes, Wikipedia is a charitable organization of great importance. If you enjoy what I am doing here then please take the time to donate to Wikipedia. Surprisingly only 1% of Wikipedia's users donate yet the site serves pages to millions every day.
Humble Bundle
A video gaming storefront benefiting a vast variety of different Charities in the United States and United Kingdom (hopefully soon to be expanded to include other areas of the world?). By software their software bundles and choose which Charity your money benefits and how much of your money benefits that Charity. See? Gamers can do their part too.
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Shhhh! Digital Media Presents
The Butterfly Dragon: The Two Butterflies - Epsisode 14: Crime Of The Century
This content is produced by the artists indicated on the site, including myself, Brian Joseph Johns.
I, under no circumstance will trade, barter or otherwise swap my own identity for that of another person and I protect the same right for those who've contributed their artwork to the various projects under my management at Shhhh! Digital Media, my own company, no matter the colour symbolism involved. These rights are protected by law under the Charter Of Rights And Freedoms under section 7.
Also, FYI, I don't reverse or alter the polarity or context of my expression (sometimes referred to as "blove" by some people). I say what I mean and mean what I say, and generally only joke or am sarcastic with people I really know very well.
If you enjoy reading the content on this website, then please consider making a donation to one of the following charities below, or by the purchase of merchandise on our shop at https://shop.shhhhdigital.com.
Support CharitySick Kids Foundation
Help research that provides cures and support treatment for sick children.
The Cancer Research Institute
The Princess Margaret Foundation
Cancer Research organizations that combine the expertise of many different research firms and Universities to find innovative treatments and cures for Cancer.
United Way Worldwide
World Veterans Federation
The World Veterans Federation is a humanitarian organisation, a charity and a peace activist movement. The WVF maintains its consultative status with the United Nations since 1951 and was conferred the title of “Peace Messenger” in 1987.
I'd like to point out that it was the incredible Gary Sinese Foundation that brought the issue of Veteran's rights to my attention. I've always had little respect for those who'd forget the great contribution made by those who've risked life and limb to defend those values that so many of us espouse. Perhaps the true measure of one's principles are by that for which they'd risk their life.
"None can speak more eloquently for peace than those who have fought in war."
Ralph Bunche, Nobel Peace Prize 1950
The ALS Society Of BC
ALS (also known as Lou Gehrig's Disease) is a progressive neuromuscular disease in which nerve cells die and leave voluntary muscles paralyzed. The ALS society provides a variety of programs to combat this disease and help those with it to survive.
Muscular Dystrophy Canada
Muscular Dystrophy Canada’s mission is to enhance the lives of those affected by neuromuscular disorders by continually working to provide ongoing support and resources while relentlessly searching for a cure through well-funded research.
Humane Society International
The Humane Society protects the health, lives and rights of animals the world over, ensuring that they too have a voice in this world. We are interdependent upon the complex web of life this entire planet over for our mutual survival. This is a world wide charity.
The Global Foodbanking Network
Ensuring that people the world over have enough food day to day in order to survive and lead healthy lives. In this challenging day and age services like this are becoming more and more essential. This is a world wide charity.
The Edgar Allan Poe Museum
Because Barris told me to put it here. If I didn't, he said he'd walk. Geez. Stardom really gets to some people's heads. Maybe I could kill him and bury his heart beneath the floor boards! Or I could encase him in behind a brick and mortar wall, for shaming my family name of Amantillado!
Wikipedia
The model for what may become the Encyclopedia Galactica, a complete reference and record of history, events and knowledge of humanity and its journey beyond. It is the encyclopedia of all that we know, what we surmise that we've known and will learn in the future. Yes, Wikipedia is a charitable organization of great importance. If you enjoy what I am doing here then please take the time to donate to Wikipedia. Surprisingly only 1% of Wikipedia's users donate yet the site serves pages to millions every day.
Humble Bundle
A video gaming storefront benefiting a vast variety of different Charities in the United States and United Kingdom (hopefully soon to be expanded to include other areas of the world?). By software their software bundles and choose which Charity your money benefits and how much of your money benefits that Charity. See? Gamers can do their part too.
Other Ways To Help Using Your Computer
Donate your idle computer time to science! Join the World Community Grid by clicking on one of the links below and follow the instructions for how to participate:Shhhh! Digital Media Presents
The Butterfly Dragon: The Two Butterflies - Epsisode 14: Crime Of The Century
"I heard that Bryce!" Zheng Ni Wong interjects with a smile on her face, from somewhere in the distance .
"I'm an old guy. A dinosaur, as some have started referring to me. On the brink of extinction, my time at the front and center of Quantum Physics and popular science is quickly coming to a close."
"And now, tts time for me to cash-in. As much as I can."
"Lets face it. Kids these days want to see much younger hotshots. They don't want sixty-something heroic icons of the sciences."
"They want young, adventurous, scholarly, physically fit, scientists of the new era. Ageless and timeless, never growing old. Not fearful of the onset of time and pushing it forward one facelift at a time."
"Oh... who are we fooling?"
"We're at the end of an era."
"Scientific celebrities like myself are bottoming out..."
"...get ready for the life insurance plan that has your future in mind!" Bryce spreads his arms awkwardly cringing as a result of the pain in his shoulders.
"Cut! We need a bit more of a spread with your arms Mr. Maxwell..." the director of the commercial addressed Bryce.
"I forgot to stretch today..." Bryce responds, spinning his arms in his shoulder sockets to limber up.
"Ready?! Speed and action!" the director urged the crew.
"Not only do we have the bridge to the future, but we have the plan. Get ready for the life insurance plan that has your future in mind!" Bryce presented the ship with his arms fully extended.
"Hold it... hold it! That's a wrap! That's awesome! The best take we've had..." the director patted Bryce on the back as they finished the take.
"Thanks Tony. So are we finished here?" asked Bryce.
"And then some. Despite being in the retirement chair Bryce, you've still got it!" the director complimented him.
"Good to know. Look, I just thought you need to know that my wife and I are leaving tomorrow for an investor's convention. Just in case there's anything else you need?" Bryce faced the director, who turned to face his star actor.
"Lets get a playback on that last take?" the director addressed the camera operator.
Together they watched the most recent take on the preview screen and when it had finished rolling, the director turned and patted Bryce on the back again.
"Nope. We're finished here. That was perfect. We can do the rest in editing and post. Enjoy the convention and thanks very much Mr. Maxwell," the director addressed Bryce.
"...Great... uhhh... about the pay? Do I get the cheque from you or..." Bryce asked the director awkwardly.
"No... that would be the producer you'd want to talk to. Out through that door and down the hall to the first door on your left," the director pointed it out for him.
"Alright. Thanks and give me a call if you need me again. Nice meeting you Tony," Bryce shook hands with the director.
"Great working with you. Alright people, where's my frickin' latté? Didn't I send the production assistant to get my latté...? Aren't we payin' you people enough?" the director turned and started grilling the camera operator and then the gaff.
"No..." the camera operator responded sarcastically as Bryce left the studio.
Bryce pulled his phone from from his pocket and called his wife.
"Hi honey," Wendy answered the phone.
"Hi sweetie. We just finished up so if you're done there with Valerie..." Bryce replied to her.
"I'm on my way. See you in a bit," Wendy responded.
"I'll be out front," Bryce replied and then hung up as he arrived at the producer's office.
He knocked on the door.
"The door's open," a voice came from inside of the office.
Bryce opened the office door and peeked inside. A tiny lady was seated behind the office desk as she tended to her email.
"How can I help you Mr. Bohr?" asked the lady.
"Uhhhh... Mr. Maxwell. I'm Bryce Maxwell..." Bryce corrected her.
"I'm so sorry Mr. Maxwell. How can I help you?" she corrected herself.
"We're finished in the studio and I'm here to settle up," Bryce said to her directly, getting to the point.
"Would you like me to cut you a cheque?" she asked him, adjusting the thick glasses on her nose.
"That would be wonderful. You know, the weekly pay cheques might stop around retirement time, but the bills certainly don't," Bryce responded to her with a quick quip.
"Alright. Let me get that for you. I'm just around the corner from that myself. Another two years and I'll be retiring to Victoria, British Columbia," she said to him as she filled out a cheque for him and then updated the ledger on her computer.
When she was finished, she handed it to him.
He examined it carefully and then handed it back to her.
"I'm sorry, but there must be some kind of misunderstanding. You see, it was supposed to be for six thousand, not four..." Bryce said to her firmly.
"No. We agreed to four. Its right here in your contract..." she said to him, opening her desk drawer and retrieving a copy of his contract.
She fanned through the pages until she found the negotiated payment. After reading it, she found the line indicating the agreed amount and found that it read six thousand.
"Oh... I'm so sorry Mr. Susskind. I must have been thinking of someone else..." she said to him apologetically.
"That's quite alright and its Maxwell. Bryce Maxwell..." he corrected her again.
She accepted the cheque from him and voided it, and then began writing out another cheque with the correct sum, once again updating her ledger.
"Here you are, and it was a pleasure working with you Mr. Feynman," she smiled at him.
He thought about correcting her and decided against it.
"Really, it was my pleasure. Thank you and have a great day," Bryce put the cheque in his pocket and headed out through her office door.
He made his way to the front of the office and sat in the reception area for ten minutes, then deciding to step out front of the building on account of the sunshine streaming in through the foyer window and by that time Wendy had pulled up out front to pick him up.
"So how'd it go?" asked Wendy as Bryce got into the passenger's seat.
"Good. We managed to get it done in a few takes and the director wanted a few other establishing and miscellaneous shots for editing. They even let me ad-lib a few times which was nice, but for the most part it was a pretty tight ship. I guess in this business you kind of have to balance between your own interests and those of the writers. There's a lot of egos involved," Bryce remarked as he put on his seatbelt.
"Not to mention their job portfolios I'd imagine. I mean that's their life-line. They're probably slapping their forehead when some hotshot physicist comes in and wants to change the lines," Wendy observed rather astutely.
"Hotshot physicist? Are you kidding me? I'm just a retired professional trying to eek out an existence," Bryce smiled as he retrieved the cheque from his pocket.
"Did they pay you today?" asked Wendy.
"They certainly did. I was thinking that maybe we could catch dinner and a movie tonight? There's also that performance going on at the Harbourfront Centre... Hocus Pocus. Maybe walk along the harbourfront afterward and then settle in for the night. What do you think?" Bryce said playfully as he carefully played with the cheque.
"Is the insurance paid on the car and the house?" Wendy checked her shoulder before changing lanes.
"We could do that. More than enough to cover it with this without cutting into our savings," Bryce responded.
"What about the work we had done on the back deck? Is that paid yet?" asked Wendy, pushing even further.
"There's one more payment of five hundred left for that," Bryce responded.
"And what about the getting the brakes done? You said you were going to do that two months ago," Wendy goaded him responsibly.
"I forgot about that. That'll be about a thousand..." Bryce replied, shrinking into his seat a little more.
"Both front and back?" Wendy confirmed.
"Maybe seventeen hundred. I thought this was a good haul but it certainly disappears quickly," Bryce pouted playfully.
"Yeah but think about how much easier that makes things if we get that stuff out of the way. The last thing we want is to fall behind," Wendy once again reminded him.
"Yeah... but you know what they say. All work and no play makes Jack a dull boy..." Bryce pulled a line from a movie from the recesses of his memory.
"Well Jill says Jack can play when the bills are paid," Wendy turned to face him with a smile on her face.
"Once again, my wife, the voice of reason. My cheque? It came, saw and left..." Bryce said, throwing the cheque in the air and watching it flutter down onto his lap.
"We've got to catch that flight to Niagara Falls tomorrow for the convention. Have you talked to the others?" asked Wendy as the light turned green.
"Katya and Victor are going to meet us at the terminal. Zheng and Briggs will be ready at six in the AM," Bryce replied, repocketing the cheque.
"What about those girls from West Meet East?" asked Wendy.
"Who? Oh...! Sienna and Fay?" confirmed Bryce.
"Weren't there more?" Wendy asked Bryce.
"Oooh, that's right. Kori and Ebtissam. I think they're carpooling with Sienna and Fay. They said to catch the flight and if we don't hook up with them at the terminal, that they'll meet us at the convention center. At the registration desk," Bryce suddenly recalled his conversation with Kori the prior week.
"It sounds to me like our night is already predetermined for us, if we're going to be up on time in the morning and achieve our schedule," Wendy pulled into the underground parking of the condo and over to their parking.
"I wonder if we shouldn't throw Heylyn a grand or two. I mean she hasn't said a thing to us about using her unoccupied real estate, but I'd feel more comfortable if we at least gave her something?" Wendy stopped the car in their parking space.
"She would say something to us if there was a problem. Either financially or otherwise. It was her that suggested that we use this place. It was essentially sitting doing nothing while she's waiting for the market to blow up. We pay the maintenance fees and I'm sure thats enough from her perspective," Bryce assured her as they got out of the car.
"Alright. Lets get upstairs and get some dinner and we'll catch a flick on television. That way we'll be fresh and energized for the morning," they made their way to the elevator.
"Honey. For once can we talk about how your day went?" Bryce smiled at Wendy.
"It went good. We'll talk about it upstairs," Wendy gave him a kiss on the cheek for asking, and the chime sounded as the elevator arrived.
...
"Now that might have sounded like the perfect day. The kind of day that most younger guys fantasize about what life will be like with their wife when they're much older, omitting the parts they fantasize about when the lights dim, which of course in our case and on that particular night was the two of us in bed rendered unconscious after having eaten, fast asleep, one of us snoring. I won't tell you which one of us that was,"
"I guess the point in this case all has to do with input and output. In this case, bills needed to be paid and we both worked towards those ends and thanks to my wife, we met the demands of our responsibilities and also managed to enjoy the fruits of our labour. Honest effort towards a worthy endeavor that yielded a future of some kind. In this case, two retirees living out the rest their days as best they could in the wake of their extraordinary careers,"
"In this sense, life becomes a little bit like the case for investment and in life, there are good investments and there are not-so-good investments. There are investments that hold potential. There are investments that are ground breaking. There are investments that are entirely return, and there are investments that are too good to be true, and that's just life itself,"
"I remember the first job that I ever had, long before my PhD or my tenure as a Professor, back in the days when newsprint was the medium for morning news for most professionals as television's news format usually arrived later in the morning and by the time a professional was on their way to, or already at work. You guessed it. I was a newspaper delivery boy and at the young age of fourteen. It wasn't a job. It was an investment, because I had buy the paper route from someone else who'd already founded it and brought it to its then peak value,"
"I did chores at home to earn my allowance, and saved all my money in a piggy bank, and when I was in the ballpark for the market of buying a paper route, I began shopping them locally and quickly learned a lot about life and investment in the process and without ever realizing that I was gaining valuable insight that would serve me until this very day,"
"You see, newpaper routes were typically sold in the buy and sell section of newspapers, and in a sense, no differently than any other business that was being sold through similar medium. They were listed as buy and sell ads, and hence there certainly was marketing involved on the part of some other teenager who'd achieved the peak potential of their route and had outgrown it,"
"Much like any investment by way of purchase, there were small investments with little return on investment but enough to be profitable. There were big investments which might have for the right teenager, returned considerably though that required considerable effort, because in that business, effort equals return. Small paper routes required little effort and therefore returned little. Big paper routes required big effort and therefore had big returns. Then there were the ??? paper routes. The ones that were marketed well, and listed as having much promised potential but that in the end..."
"As it turned out, the market for buying and selling newspaper routes was somewhat prophetic because it mirrored an aspect that as a Scientist, something that we'd come to confront over the course of our careers, competing for research money. Competing for investment, whether it be Government or Corporate, and the kid buying the newspaper route is no different than the billionaire looking for a place to put their money to work in an informed, determinate, beneficial and profitable manner,"
"Little did we know that we were about to get a lesson that none of us would ever forget. And this is the story of how we changed the very nature of investment and once again, gave it credibility in the face of a collapsing bubble,"
"I remember waking up the next morning. Wendy had turned on the radio to a local classic rock station, despite my usual preference of classic and big band jazz. My wife has a say in our life, and when she takes the reigns of the radio, I usually tag along for the ride and enjoy it with our morning coffee,"
"In this case, it happened to be a song that snuck up on us and in a most timely manner, as if the universe were at some quantum level, abstracting metaphorically what was yet to come, perhaps more so akin to its namesake than the context of its lyrics, though they certainly seemed to fit the bill as well. Just like that kid I used to be riding my bicycle on the paper route of life..."
"And that's where it all began. The day that begat our crime of the century..."
Registration
Katya drew many eyes as she strutted her way from one of the soft drink vending machines and back over to where her husband was seated in the front foyer of the Niagara Falls Convention Centre, dressed like a million dollars on a fifty thousand dollar a year budget. Victor had his laptop setup on his lap and a folder full of notes whose papers were scattered on the bench beside him. He sat frantically typing as she arrived and took a seat beside him, several men looking out from beyond their own phones and tablets to get another eye full of her.
"Here you go my overworked, underpaid husband," she handed him his electrolyte infused bottled water.
He kept his eyes fixated on the laptop screen as he finished the last few lines of corrections in his delivery.
"Its water? I wanted an energy drink," Victor responded to her as she sat beside him.
"Relax. I got you the energy drink but you remember what Doctor said. You need to properly hydrate yourself in the morning first, and to get your electrolytes unless you'd prefer atrophe of the musculoskeletal system," she said to him.
"And what Doctor is it you refer to?" he asked her, stopping long enough to accept her offering of water.
"Doctor concerned wife. You remember her, don't you?" she asked him, picking up his folder and notes and quickly organizing them as a stack as he opened the bottled water.
"Tell me, what is prognosis of Doctor wife?" Victor asked her as he stopped long enough to join the numerous eyes upon her.
"Take drink of water and call me in the morning," she responded, handing him back his folder full of notes.
"And then can I have the energy drink?" he pressed her again with a smile.
"No. To get that, you'll need to pay Doctor's bill of one kiss. A quick one, and on the lips this time," she replied, withdrawing the energy drink from him as she crossed her legs and puckered up.
"You drive hard bargain," he said as he closed in on her labium oris.
The kiss was gentle, but deliberate. Katya withdrew first from him and handed her husband his energy drink.
"It wasn't good kiss?" he asked her.
"No. It was perfect. It remind the eyes of men upon me that I'm a happily married woman..." she replied.
"To who? Are you saying that we can't have a little bit of fun in the absense of your happily married?" Victor played with the situation much to her enjoyment.
"I was just making sure that you're paying attention. We can play later. Lets make sure we're ready for talk this afternoon my husband," she reached into her own purse and retrieved a tablet computer.
"MAZ? Can you retrieve our working notes for today's address from the cloud?" she asked the MindSpice AI assistant.
"Gladly Doctor. How are you and Victor doing today?" MAZ asked her.
"We are well, though my husband doesn't seem to catching on as to how helpful you can be. Can you check my address notes for any grammatical errors, and ensure that the side notes and cues are in Russian?" she requested of MAZ.
"Done. Would you like anything else?" asked MAZ.
"Yes. Could you do same for husband's notes, though keep original copies, but merge with any linked third party media from presentation," Katya advised MAZ.
"Done. Will that be all?" MAZ once again asked them.
"Be sure to give a kiss on the cheek to Mr. Asnon from me," Katya smiled and returned the tablet to her purse.
"See how its done? And you stressed trying to get all edits done by lonesome," Katya grabbed up the paper notes and put them back into his laptop case.
"My dear, we slow to change with age, while with time, change comes quicker and quicker. Good thing I have a wife with good sense. Now tell me, who is Mr. Asnon fellow? Should I be worried?" he asked her as he opened the laptop once again.
"Katya! Victor!" Kori waved to them on the bench as she picked up her pace towards them.
Victor put the laptop on the bench beside him and stood with his wife as they greeted Kori.
"How are you doing? You look very nice today," Victor complimented her as more eyes were drawn to their proximity.
"Oh thank you. Glad to see that you two are healthy. How's the project going?" she asked them as they took a seat together.
"Bryce's role finished last month, so its been lonely without him, but we made significant breakthrough recently he'll be happy to know," Katya explained to Kori.
"I take it your presentation today is related?" Kori asked, not really knowing much about the sciences involved.
"Precisely. Now we take idea and try to lure in more investors in order to scale up and make working production line. The expensive part is halfway done, and what remains is built on well understand principles of biological engineering," Katya surmised for Kori.
"Ohhh. Sounds interesting. Where's everyone else?" she asked Katya and Victor.
"They're not arrived yet," Victor responded.
"That's cutting it close. The program itinerary starts soon, doesn't it?" confirmed Kori.
"It does, but we need Bryce to check in and get access to booth. Maybe we should be getting nervous? Go start pushing registration desk to give us early access?" Victor suggested.
"We probably shouldn't burn down our bridges. At least not yet. Ebtissam, Sienna and Fay should be here soon. I just talked to them about half-an-hour ago. They're stuck in traffick just outside of Hamilton," Kori explained to them as she felt a pair of hands on her shoulders.
"Guess who?" a familiar male voice asked her.
"Let's see, uhhhhh, very late?" Kori replied, playing along.
"Close, but no cigar. I'm, very late's brother. Better late than never," Bryce responded, removing his hands from Kori's shoulders.
"And I'm his wife, better sense than him," Wendy smiled, having met Kori, Katya and Victor a few times before already.
"How are you two?" Kori greeted them.
"Well, the flight from Toronto got delayed. Nothing serious thankfully, and by the time we got to St. Catherines, our arranged taxi service had bailed on us. So we had to look around for an alternative..." Bryce explained to them.
"I have an old work associate whose husband owns a local limo company, and he gave us a great discount and on short notice thankfully. I would have used him in the first place, but I didn't remember until we were in St. Catherines," Wendy explained to them.
"Well you're here now and time is pressing us..." Victor tapped his watch, after which he began collecting his laptop, while Katya got their drinks.
"Yeah. Let's get that done before the others get here," Bryce quickly led them to the registration desk.
...
Mrs. Elman arrived at the booth, followed by Mr. Fenster who pushed Mr. Deeters' wheelchair as they arrived.
Meanwhile, Ebtissam led Sienna and Fay through the convention hall towards the end where the shared booth was situated.
All six of them converged on the scene, where Victor and Bryce stood on chairs as they attempted to hoist the signage into place above the booth, while Wendy and Katya guided them towards having it centered.
"Its looking good so far. Sorry we're late but we got..." Mrs. Elman began but paused upon seeing the LCD screens they'd already setup.
"Its alright. We heard. Did you get caught in the same traffic?" Bryce said as he fastened the last clip holding their sign in place.
"Just outside of Hamilton unfortunately. A messy accident but at least nobody was hurt," Mrs. Elman explained.
"Is there a place I can plug in? Ran out of juice this morning. I forgot to charge last night," asked Mr. Deeters, referring to his wheel chair.
"Let me get that for you," Ebtissam offered, taking the charger pack from the back of his wheel chair and plugging it in to the power bar.
"Nice to meet you Miss...?" Mr. Deeters addressed Ebtissam.
"Ebtissam. Yara Ebtissam, thank you for asking and with whom am I speaking?" Ebtissam asked politely and professionally.
"I'm Patrick Deeters at your service. You seem to be familiar with my round legs here?" Mr. Deeters inquired.
"I've done work for charities, assisting those with mobility issues," Ebtissam replied.
"Mobility? My phone plan is fine thank you very much. Its my legs that need an upgrade or two..." Mr. Deeters said jokingly.
"What's the issue if you don't mind my asking?" Ebtissam asked him.
"Spinal dislocation. Severed my spinal chord ten years ago in a car accident. So are you the entrepreneur that's got the other side of the booth?" Mr. Deeters answered her.
"Yes. With my peers here Sienna and Fay. We're from West Meet East International, but our business manager, Valerie Aspen recently came up with a very profitable cost cutting solution that entails registering the seamster/sewing side of the business as its own separate service bureau, which means we could actually do business with our competitors and make them our customers. Sienna and Fay suggested doing the same thing with the hair dressing and make-up departement. Monique, one of the models working there helped us to get going on this as she likes to move fast, and here we are a month later," Ebtissam explained to Mr. Deeters.
"Where are you from. You have a very unique accent and style too. Very nice," Mr. Deeters complimented her.
"I'm from the United Arab Emirates. I came here to Canada about ten years ago. I studied under Ryerson's Sewing for Design program, at that time, with the intent of trying to get work with one of the major fashion houses. Heylyn was one of the first to respond when I sent my resumé out and so here I am," Ebtissam smiled for him.
"Well its very nice to meet you. I'm the guy they come to when they need guidance and to drum up finances, so they brought me today to keep the dance floor warmed up," Mr. Deeters joked.
"You should see his moves, especially after he's oiled the wheels," Bryce added, drawing a bit of laughter from Mr. Deeters.
"Hi Katya. Always a pleasure to see you. How's that Victor man of yours doing today?" Mr. Deeters asked.
Victor pulled the last clip from his mouth and fastened his end of the sign into place, nearly stepping off of the back of the chair as he did.
"There. It seems like we're caught up with everyone now. Oh, Mr. Deeters? How are you?" asked Victor.
"A lot better if you can guarantee for me that we'll be delivering that presentation today and on time?" Mr. Deeters asked him.
"Everything is put together for the talk. We pulled a few wee hours of work, but got it done," Victor explained to his employer.
"Glad to hear. Mr. Fenster's presentation is also ready, which is good as there's a sizeable attendance of the nano-engineering community from what I understand," Mr. Deeters replied.
"Well its the bio-engineering community we're looking for, because I think we've got this baby in the cradle if you know what I mean," Bryce interjected on Victor's behalf and his genetic solution based upon his work with phages.
"And that's why the both of you - both Mr. Fenster and yourselves will be delivering your talks despite the fact that they're both built on completely different technological platforms. Its the applications that are the same, but if we can get the engineers bidding on the most cost effective production pipeline in either case, we'll have this in the bag. This is an important branching point for the future of nano-technology," Mr. Deeters adjusted his wheel chair, backing it up to take in the entirety of the booth.
"The only question is, do we go with a machine oriented mechanical nano-framework?" Mr. Fenster asked rhetorically.
"Or a DNA/RNA based Hyperphage biological network based system?" Victor added.
"Now at this point, many of you are probably baffled by the technobabble. Yes. That's right. Technobabble, because when we come up with the names for this technology, its a bit like a game for us. A mixture of applicable technical labels that describe the science behind what makes these things operate, and the catchy marketing terms. Something that sounds both friendly and innovative thats easy to remember for the people who will be investing in it and certainly the people whose lives will be affected by it,"
"In this case our two candidates for the same technological application deal with two very different mediums. Advanced materials based engineering and manufacturing, and phage based reproduction, augmented with DNA/RNA technology. That is, either wee little tiny robots that are made of metal parts (of titanium-carbon alloy), or living pseudo-cellular life forms based upon the phage life cycle. The kind of stuff that used to keep guys like Jon Von Neumann up all night playing with math and feasibility,"
"The stuff that drives the future of the entirety of humanity. When someone, or a whole group of somebodies work together to bring innovation to life and keep going through the worst of it all. The nay saying voices that try to convince you that you can't do it. You can't achieve it. That thing that keeps you going when you're at the doorstep of a profound revolution, held back by the kind of people who want to wear you like you're an outfit to make them shine but who keep you hidden in the darkness. The kind of people who will, left right and center, deny you of your existence until the strength of your dreams breaks through the gates behind which they keep you locked."
"And just like a song, the stuff of dreams and dreamers..."
"But for every realized dream, there's a hidden nightmare lurking in the shadows as we soon found out,"
To be continued...
Credits and attribution:
Artwork: Amy Wong, Wendy Pusey, Ghastly, Birdman, Brian Joseph Johns, Daz3D, Unreal Engine...Tools: Daz3D, Corel Painter, Adobe Photoshop, Lightwave 3D, Blender, Stable Diffusion (Easy Diffusion distribution), InstantID, Sadtalker, Google Colaboratory, Microsoft Copilot (Windows 11), Hitfilm, Borderline Obsession...
InstantID by: Wang, Qixun and Bai, Xu and Wang, Haofan and Qin, Zekui and Chen, Anthony. Research Paper Title: InstantID - Zero-shot Identity-Preserving Generation in Seconds.
Sadtalker by: Zhang, Wenxuan and Cun, Xiaodong and Wang, Xuan and Zhang, Yong and Shen, Xi and Guo, Yu and Shan, Ying and Wang, Fei.
Research Paper Title: SadTalker: Learning Realistic 3D Motion Coefficients for Stylized Audio-Driven Single Image Talking Face Animation.
Gratitude: Our Mentors, Senseis, Sifus, Sebomnims, lifetime inspirations, family, friends, the Nomads (ask Stanton about that one), the Music, the Movies, the Theatre, the Arts, ASMR, (both YouTube and Bilibili and the many other creators on those platforms), the Gaming and Developer communities and of course, the audience.
Martial Arts (in the words of real experts and at least one comedian): https://brucelee.com (home of the real Dragon and an entire family of inspirations), http://iwco.online International Wing Chun Organization (International presence of a very scalable intensity martial art, protected and developed by Shaolin Nun Ng Mui) and the alma mater of Jinn Hua's own specialized variation thereof, https://iogkf.com International Okinawan Goju-Ryu Karatedo Federation (even Hanshi had his teachers), https://itftkd.sport International Taekwondo Federation (Here there be Taegers), https://tangsoodoworld.com Tang Soo Do World (the path of Grandmaster Chuck Norris), https://www.aikido-international.org International Aikido Federation (how else would Navy Chef Steven Seagal liberate a Nimitz Class Aircraft Carrier from a team of hijackers?), https://www.stqitoronto.com Shaolin Temple Quanfa Institute (The City Of Toronto's own Shaolin Temple), https://www.enterthedojoshow.com Master Ken's Ameri-Te-Do presence (If we can't laugh at ourselves, then we can at least laugh the loudest at others, and other Zen)
Special thanks to Aitrepreneur, Mickmumpitz, Hugging Face and the YouTube educational content producers, including those catering to the AI content production pipeline and of course AlphaSignal.
Something to give you perspective: The very first teacher had no formal education, didn't graduate and was self taught, but only because they had no other choice. We do.
This content is entirely produced in Toronto, Ontario, Canada at 200 Sherbourne Street Suite 701 under the Shhhh! Digital Media banner.
Tools: Daz3D, Corel Painter, Adobe Photoshop, Lightwave 3D, Blender, Stable Diffusion (Easy Diffusion distribution), InstantID, Sadtalker, Google Colaboratory, Microsoft Copilot (Windows 11), Hitfilm, Borderline Obsession...
InstantID by: Wang, Qixun and Bai, Xu and Wang, Haofan and Qin, Zekui and Chen, Anthony. Research Paper Title: InstantID - Zero-shot Identity-Preserving Generation in Seconds.
Sadtalker by: Zhang, Wenxuan and Cun, Xiaodong and Wang, Xuan and Zhang, Yong and Shen, Xi and Guo, Yu and Shan, Ying and Wang, Fei.
Research Paper Title: SadTalker: Learning Realistic 3D Motion Coefficients for Stylized Audio-Driven Single Image Talking Face Animation.
Gratitude: Our Mentors, Senseis, Sifus, Sebomnims, lifetime inspirations, family, friends, the Nomads (ask Stanton about that one), the Music, the Movies, the Theatre, the Arts, ASMR, (both YouTube and Bilibili and the many other creators on those platforms), the Gaming and Developer communities and of course, the audience.
Martial Arts (in the words of real experts and at least one comedian): https://brucelee.com (home of the real Dragon and an entire family of inspirations), http://iwco.online International Wing Chun Organization (International presence of a very scalable intensity martial art, protected and developed by Shaolin Nun Ng Mui) and the alma mater of Jinn Hua's own specialized variation thereof, https://iogkf.com International Okinawan Goju-Ryu Karatedo Federation (even Hanshi had his teachers), https://itftkd.sport International Taekwondo Federation (Here there be Taegers), https://tangsoodoworld.com Tang Soo Do World (the path of Grandmaster Chuck Norris), https://www.aikido-international.org International Aikido Federation (how else would Navy Chef Steven Seagal liberate a Nimitz Class Aircraft Carrier from a team of hijackers?), https://www.stqitoronto.com Shaolin Temple Quanfa Institute (The City Of Toronto's own Shaolin Temple), https://www.enterthedojoshow.com Master Ken's Ameri-Te-Do presence (If we can't laugh at ourselves, then we can at least laugh the loudest at others, and other Zen)
Special thanks to Aitrepreneur, Mickmumpitz, Hugging Face and the YouTube educational content producers, including those catering to the AI content production pipeline and of course AlphaSignal.
Something to give you perspective: The very first teacher had no formal education, didn't graduate and was self taught, but only because they had no other choice. We do.
This content is entirely produced in Toronto, Ontario, Canada at 200 Sherbourne Street Suite 701 under the Shhhh! Digital Media banner.
https://shop.shhhhdigital.com
Produced at Shhhh! Digital Media
200 Sherbourne Street Suite 701
Toronto, Ontario, Canada
Inquiries: brian.joseph.johns@shhhhdigital.com, info@shhhhdigital.com
